Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
LOCAL authorities in Manicaland struggling to provide adequate service delivery to residents have been urged to emulate the City of Mutare, which in recent years has maintained high standards of service delivery, and was recently crowned the best-run municipality in the country.
This was said by the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, during the commissioning of the council’s high-impact projects, including a classroom block at Hobhouse Primary School, computer lab at Chikanga 1 Primary School, 10 Landcruiser vehicles, commuter omnibus, backhoe loader and excavator.
The council also commissioned an Artificial Intelligence-powered traffic light system at the intersection of Robert Mugabe and Herbert Chitepo streets, developed in partnership with Kwekwe Polytechnic.
Minister Mugadza challenged other local authorities in the province – both rural and urban – performing below expectations to “look and learn” how the City of Mutare is running its efficient operations.
“Allow me to congratulate the City of Mutare for its remarkable achievement – for being recognised as Zimbabwe’s best-performing Urban Local Authority in 2025. This achievement is worth of celebration.
“It reflects visionary leadership by the mayor and council, sound administration by the Town Clerk and management, commitment by members of staff and constructive cooperation from residents and stakeholders. Recognition of this nature is never accidental. It is earned through hard work, accountability, innovation and dedication to service delivery.
“However, excellence is not a destination, it is a continuous journey. I therefore urge the City of Mutare not to become complacent because of this achievement. Instead, let this recognition serve as a motivation to raise the bar even higher. Residents’ expectations continue to evolve, and councils must continue embracing innovation, digital transformation, financial sustainability, transparency and effective corporate governance. I challenge the City of Mutare to play a greater leadership role within Manicaland Province. As the province’s leading local authority, Mutare has an opportunity to share its experiences and best practices with sister councils that continue to face service delivery and governance challenges. The success of one local authority should become a source of inspiration and learning for others.
“We encourage the City of Mutare to work closely with other local authorities in the province through peer learning, technical support, exchange programmes and collaborative initiatives. Together we can build stronger institutions and improve service delivery across the whole of Manicaland Province,” said Minister Mugadza.
Town Clerk, Mr Blessing Chafesuka said the council utilised the education levy to construct classroom blocks, and also targeted Non-Governmental Organisations that were downsizing and disposing of fairly new Landcruisers, while the other equipment was new.
“These projects are our practical response to minimum service delivery standards and the National Development Strategy (NDS2). We are not just providing infrastructure, we are building an empowered, prosperous upper middle-income city, in line with Vision 2030. We introduced an education levy and through it, we are happy to be delivering landmark projects within council-run schools.
“Several capital projects are in motion. Every council school is at a different stage of completion of key projects. From our council rates and coffers we have consistently funded the construction of modern schools. The latest milestone is the new Beira Corridor Primary School, which is expected to be delivered by year-end. If this pace is maintained, Mutare City Council schools will soon become unrivalled powerhouses of education provision. We previously relied on imported systems, but this time we have partnered Kwekwe Polytechnic to upgrad our traffic lights. The components used to develop the traffic light were designed, developed and engineered by the college and it is a landmark achievement. If we want sustainable solutions to Zimbabwean problems we must stop looking across our borders for technology,” said Mr Chafesuka.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Fanuel Tagwira said partnerships between local authorities and institutions of higher learning help to deliver localised solutions that benefit residents and reduce the country’s reliance on imports.
“It is with great pride that we celebrate the successful design, installation and commissioning of the Hybrid Smart Traffic Light System, whose performance has already been extensively tested and proven. Such partnerships do far more than solve immediate challenges. They strengthen institutions and improve the quality of graduates. They stimulate industrial growth and promote import substitution. This demonstrates Zimbabwe’s capacity to develop world-class solutions for its own development,” said Prof Tagwira.
Chikanga 1 Primary School Development Committee (SDC) chairperson, Mrs Mercy Mugaviri said the introduction of computers will help children adapt to technology at an early age, a foundation that will benefit them in future.
“We are happy for this 50-seater computer lab that has been constructed for us by the Responsible Authority, Mutare City Council. Our learners will start learning computers at Early Childhood Development (ECD) classes, and they will not struggle with technology in future. The school still requires more blocks as the enrolment is increasing each year,” she said.
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